THE VERY BEST BOOK ABOUT JESUS CHRIST* (Or, THE SECOND BEST BOOK ABOUT JESUS CHRIST)

*other than ‘The Holy Bible’

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Ladies love outlaws

Like babies love stray dogs

Ladies touch babies like a banker touches gold

Outlaws touch ladies somewhere deep down in their soul

~ Waylon Jennings

'Ladies Love Outlaws'

On April 6, 1994, I had a Spiritual experience in which Christ Yeshua (Jesus Christ) baptized me with the Holy Spirit. It left me in tears, and was utterly unexpected, although it had been preceded by other mystical experiences.

A deep conversion is usually “baptized” in tears.

~ Alice von Hildebrand

‘The Privilege Of Being A Woman’

I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I ... He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

~ John the Baptist

Matthew 3:11

From that time on, I began reading and taking very seriously "God's Word", or The Holy Bible. I have since read the entire Book – Genesis 1 through Revelation 22 - nineteen or twenty times. Some portions of it I have read more times than that (e.g., the four Gospels, Revelation, and Job). While I certainly don't qualify as an expert on The Bible, it's one of the subjects I am most informed about, and the fact that the Holy Spirit guided my Scripture studies gave me insight that I'd not have acquired otherwise. As a result, and because of some personal encounters with Jesus, I had formed an idea about Him and His personality that I was not aware of anyone else holding. But I've learned that I was not alone in the way I perceived my Holy King and Savior.

One night in the middle of last December, I went into the book & DVD library where I work and sat down and opened whatever book I was reading at that time. Then I happened to glance to my left and sitting on the shelf labeled ‘Religion’ was a book titled ‘BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW’. I thought that was an odd title for a book supposedly about religion, so out of curiosity I pulled it from the shelf. It was published in 2011 by someone named John Eldredge, and it was subtitled ‘Experiencing The Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality Of Jesus’.

I opened the book at random to somewhere near the middle and read about two pages. I put the book back on the shelf, having made up my mind that ‘BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW’ was going to be the very next book I read.

Back Cover Blurb (hardcover)...

“He was accused of nearly everything – breaking the law, keeping bad company, heavy drinking, and being the devil himself. He was so compelling and dangerous they had to kill him.

“But those who knew him best loved him passionately. He had a sense of humor. His generosity was scandalous. His anger made enemies tremble. He would say the most outrageous things. And this Jesus has not changed one bit; he is still himself, available to all who would know him.”

Back Cover Blurb (paperback)...

“Reading the Gospels without knowing the personality of Jesus is like watching television with the sound turned off. The effect is a dry, two-dimensional person saying strange, undecipherable things. But when we discover his true character – this man who made the wind, music, and flying squirrels – suddenly all of the remarkable qualities of Jesus burst forth with color and brilliance like fireworks.”

I read the library’s copy of ‘Beautiful Outlaw’. Afterwards, I immediately purchased a copy for myself and read it a second time. Then I began buying copies and sending them to particular friends I thought would especially enjoy it and/or gain something new from it.

I think it’s the very best book about Jesus I’ve ever read, aside from The Bible. It may also be one of my Top Ten favorite books of all time.

As some of my friends began reading the book, I started getting feedback from them and we had interesting discussions via Email. Below are some of those exchanges, which these friends granted me permission to share publicly with you.

First, we’ll hear from FAE of the blog ‘Far Away Series’. She’s in blue, I’m in classic black:

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STMcC: At first – like, the first 3 or 4 chapters – I was thinking: This guy is writing about the Jesus I know – the REAL Jesus! I want to send this to FAE, because I think this is the Jesus she knows too!

But I wanted to wait to see if the book would continue to be as good as it started out. Well, I’m almost finished with it now, and it has NOT remained as good as it started out. In fact, it has only gotten better, and Better, and BETTER!

FAE: Just so you know, today was wash my hair day after swimming, so even though the temperatures are in the fifties here, I had a big knitted cap pulled on over my wet hair; I sat down without even taking the cap off and thought I'll just peruse the chapter titles. Fifty-seven pages later, I realized that I still had that hat on and my now almost dry hair was going to be a mess. Reluctantly, I put the book down and decided I should do something about my hair and make some lunch (it's now almost 2 PM). YES, it's that good!

STMcC: Well, one “bad hair day” is a small enough price to pay for reading such a wonderful book about our Savior, eh?

FAE: In only fifty-seven pages this author explains so much that has, in a way, troubled me for a lot of years. What I felt troubled about in the past was the fact that THIS IS the Jesus that I know, but not what religion teaches, so I always thought it was just my rebellious soul that thought of Him this way, and spoke to Him as though He were a real person (not to mention the times I've argued with Him and His Father). I'm not going to yak on for long here, because I still haven't made lunch, and I want to get back to the book.

STMcC: There are some viewpoints in ‘BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW’ that I don’t concur with. Two of the bigger ones being the fact that, as John Eldredge states on page 46, he “clings to the Nicene Creed and the orthodox faith”. As you know, I am decidedly NOT a Trinitarian ...However, I do believe that in some unfathomable way, the Father brought all of His creation through Christ, so in a way it’s true that some of what we see in nature contains attributes of Christ’s personality.

There were a couple statements (one in particular to the max!) early on in the book that made me sit up and take notice, thinking: Hokey-Smoke! Those are little secrets between Jesus and me! How does John know about them?

Mostly, for me, it was just being blown away to discover that John knows the same Jesus I do, and to have my faith fired up again by this guy who, in my opinion, is one tremendously talented writer. I love ‘BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW’, the book and the Man!

I was practically cheering when I read what John had to say about Christ’s appearance to the disciples on the road to Emmaus (pages 26-29). I was thinking: Finally! Someone else gets it and realizes that Jesus was playing a game with His friends, He was having some fun on that glorious day. And then at the apex of the fun – “See ya. Poof!”... gone. And they immediately go running back from where they just came to spread the Good News.

Also, page 25... I loved the fact that John highlighted that little miraculous event with Nathanael, because I distinctly recall many, many years ago reading that passage to my Ma and telling her how humorous I found it. In reading it, I could even hear the tone of voice Jesus used, see the twinkle in his eyes and the slight grin as He said... “Oh [pause]... you’ll see greater things than that.” (Wow! I just now noticed for the first time, glancing at page 25, that even John Eldredge put the pause in there! Hoo-Wee! Yep, we knows the same Jesus we does!)

FAE: I finished. It was wonderful. ... I just wanted you to know I LOVED IT!

I admit I did drive about 50 MPH through Prague (I read it in about 48 hours), but I got so much. I want to let it percolate down for a few days, and then read it again, slowly, fully digesting each chapter, enjoying the banquet that it is. A thousand thank yous for introducing this to me.

I loved it presumably as much as you did. I agree 100% that John Eldredge is a wonderful writer. I found myself smiling through the entire reading. At times I was actually laughing out loud, at times crying. I would read some and think I know that guy, and at other places I would think I am that guy.

But, throughout it was obvious that John Eldredge was talking about the Jesus that I know and love. ... I couldn't agree more about the 'fog of religion’.

I loved the chapter about Humility. I of course, did not think that Jesus was born with the vocabulary of Dictionary.com but I never really thought a whole lot about Him as an infant (outside of the manger) or as a toddler, or small child learning to tie a bow and so on. If I had entertained these thoughts, I'm not sure I would have thought of this time as an act of humility on His part, but of course, I can now see that clearly.

Two of the chapters near the end ‘Letting Jesus Be Himself - With You' and 'Letting His Life Fill Yours', really touched me and also made me recommit to doing everything I can to draw closer to the Jesus I know and love.

Thank you so much for thinking of me when reading this book and thank you again and again for sending me this copy. It is a most wonderful gift.

And now here are some Email exchanges between Bryan Pedus of the blog ‘A Beer For The Shower’ and myself. Bryan is in red, I am (still) in boring classic black:

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BRYAN: It's not often that I'm this eager to read a book, and it's also not this often that the back cover description of a book 'snags' me like this...

I've only started ‘Beautiful Outlaw’ but I'm already enjoying it. ... I've never once believed that being a follower and believer in Christ means that you have to sacrifice your personality and become some bland, milquetoast Ned Flanders who can't laugh or have fun.

In Catholic mass, local kids would stand up to the podium and read excerpts from the New Testament in between songs. This would lead up to the priest's sermon. Anyhow, I knew all of those kids, and I knew how much they absolutely couldn't stand doing it. And I couldn't stand listening to it. Because the kids were instructed, on purpose, to be very monotone and, as the church leaders called it, "respectful." So when you're sitting there, especially as an 8-10 year old kid who's already very confused about the world, and another kid is reading this very monotone, literal translation of the Savior's acts, he... well, he sounds like kind of a weirdo, right? And then of course I felt blasphemous for even thinking that, but when taken with utmost seriousness, a lot of it sounds very bizarre.

And I always felt stupid, like I just didn't "get it." So now I wonder, the people who are so serious, do they really think they "get it"? Or are they just going through the motions because they've been taught to digest these words in a particular way?

STMcC: Well, I think Eldredge nails it when he points out that some people in the mainstream Christian churches – INCLUDING the pastors or ministers – DO NOT have a personal relationship with Jesus. They use that expression a lot, “personal relationship”, but I suspect most of them don’t have one.

I mean, if even the minister knows nothing more about Jesus than what he’s read in his Bible – if he’s never once seen Jesus, in a dream or otherwise, or even heard Christ speak to him in his mind, or felt Christ’s inspiration in a very undeniable way – what makes him think he’s qualified to teach others how to “come to Christ”?

BRYAN: Next: The Savior constantly fighting against the religious authority. I never really knew about this, but I can really appreciate it. He's coming in to clean house, and showing (which I've always believed) that it's not the religion that is bad, but the people who can often bungle things up. Particularly in that wonderful story where he's healing someone who's been incredibly sick for 18 years and performing this miracle on the Sabbath, and the religious officials are waiting with baited breath for him to break this silly rule so that they can persecute him. And he asks, really, which do you think is more important? Abiding by this one rule or helping someone who's been suffering almost their whole life?

STMcC: Yeah, exactly. I totally get what Eldredge is saying about Jesus being in opposition to the “religious authorities” of His day, and he’s entirely right about it! Those guys didn’t even realize (though they should have) that the PERSON their (“Old Testament”) Scriptures pointed to was the very Man standing in front of them healing the sick, casting out demons, reviving the dead, etc.

BRYAN: I've always been a bit of a rule breaker, in the name of the greater good, and my former pastor couldn't stand this. He, of course, was of the mind "we must always follow the rules, no matter who sets them, to show respect for authority. The Savior would want that." And now that I'm reading this, I have to tell you, I feel a lot more at ease that being myself is a lot more akin to the Savior than is being some rule following robot.

STMcC: Oh, you nonconformist rebel types! When will you ever learn that the mainstream view of EVERYTHING is usually the correct one? C’mon, 6-B, do like I have and join the “In Crowd”. [:-)}

Just think of the tattoos and body-piercings you can have!

Have you gotten to the story about Jesus wearing a pirate hat yet? If not, you will. It sounds utterly ridiculous and I'm sure most of the priests you've known would call it totally un-Jesus-like and thus probably a demonic deception. But that's actually the Jesus I've seen as well.

Are you aware that a huge number of Divine visions described in The Bible took place in dreams? Most were not "open visions" where the person is consciously awake. God tells us in The Bible that He uses dreams to communicate with us, and you can usually tell which ones were "dream-visions" and not just "late night pizza visions" (or what I call "night doodles") by how vivid they are and how they stick with you for years afterward.

Many years ago, I met Jesus in a dream. We were on the Palisades Park bluffs in Santa Monica and Jesus was tending to two little Asian children - I thought most likely they were Cambodian. Jesus didn't say anything to me but He knew I was there, following Him around, watching Him, sticking close by, and He was perfectly fine with that. I'm sure He was there for me as much as for the Cambodian children, after all it was MY dream-vision.

But here's the thing: No pirate hat on Jesus. But I knew with absolute certainty that He was Jesus... despite the fact that He had short hair, no beard (“Jesus shaves!”), and was wearing a short-sleeved Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants!

So when I read something about a pirate hat, I don't become immediately skeptical. Instead, I think: Why not? He's fun, He has a sense of humor, and He's probably sick and tired of being portrayed as eternally ultra-serious and in the same long, white robe (with or without a lamb slung over His shoulder).

BRYAN: I just want to say that if anything, this book has made me feel better about not having a good relationship with the Savior. I've had my personal experiences, as I've mentioned to you before, more in the general sense of God, but I've never had a personal experience with the Savior himself. And I believe now that that's because I've been told to look for the wrong person. That pale, gaunt, dour looking guy who's super serious and has no sense of humor. ... No wonder I never found him. He doesn't exist.

STMcC: Oh, yeah, I know who you mean: the Southern California dude with long hair and a lamb slung over his shoulder.

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HONKY  JESUS

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JIM  MORRISON  AS  JESUS

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VAL  KILMER  AS  JIM  MORRISON  AS  JESUS

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RAINBOWS  AND  UNICORNS  JESUS

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STMcC: Ha! I just had a funny thought... I’d like to see someone do a painting of Jesus wearing a Quiksilver bathing suit, riding a wave on a surfboard with a lamb slung over his shoulder. (All those paintings of Jesus always make him look so... Caucasian and surfer-ish. They bug me. How come no one ever painted Him in a pirate hat or Hawaiian shirt?)

BRYAN: I'll make you a deal. I will happily draw this picture for you if you use it in your review of John Eldredge's book for your blog bit. I think it would add a nice bit of satire to the post about how much of a blonde surfer dude Jesus looks like in all of these modern, Americanized pictures of him. How's that sound?

STMcC: 6-B, that deal is... SOOOO ON!!!

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'JESUS  CHRIST  SURFERSTAR',  illustration  by  Bryan  Pedus  of  the  blog  'A  Beer  For  The Shower'  (http://www.abeerfortheshower.com/)

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STMcC: My immediate thought was: Where’s His surfboard? And of course that thought was immediately followed, about one second later, with the obvious: Well, this Guy could walk on water, so why would He possibly need a board to surf it?

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Very clever, my friend! I hadn’t even entertained that idea, but it’s great.

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BRYAN: Ha! I was hoping you would notice and appreciate that little gem. I actually started drawing Him with a surfboard until I realized, "Wait, Jesus can walk on water. Wouldn't it be funnier, then, if He was just plain surfing on the water?" So I'm glad you caught that!

I always felt stupid, like I just didn't "get it." So now I wonder, the people who are so serious, do they really think they "get it"? Or are they just going through the motions because they've been taught to digest these words in a particular way?

Having learnt more about the real Jesus over the past couple of weeks, I'd like to think that as Jesus has always tried to relate to us that it would almost seem silly of him to appear to us as a bearded, long haired, robe wearing caricature with the lamb slung over his shoulder, rather than someone we might know and associate with today. And really, it's funny to think that to some that might be blasphemous, but really, how "bad" is having short hair, shaving, and wearing comfortable modern clothes?

STMcC: I can tell you that the Jesus I know has a DEFINITE personality which includes a sense of humor, an appreciation for amusing practical jokes, and He has an inventive, creative capacity that is simply off-the-charts.

BRYAN: I know the latter part of the book is about how to develop a relationship with the real Savior, and I'm looking forward to that. I think I need a lot more of that in my life.

STMcC: If you want to find Him, you will. He’s always knocking. We just gotta open the door and say, “Come on in.”

BRYAN: I'm not ashamed to be reading the book, I'm not ashamed to realize that I didn't know squat about the real Christ until now, and I'm not ashamed to say that I need to improve my re(a)lationship with Jesus. But that's why we've got more than a few years to kick around this ol' planet of ours, right?

It's just sad that fewer people will know the fun, funny, truly lovable Jesus that I myself am only starting to know. But at least I can say that about myself, that I'm starting to know Him. So in the end I really enjoyed the book, and I'm a better person for having read it. I can't say many books have affected me like that.

Mostly because of what I mentioned before, in particular, about Christ - the extremely serious overtones that result in him acting 'bizarre'. Now that I find myself starting to understand not just the stories but Him, I think I may read through my Bible after I'm done with this book. A book so good it made me want to pick up my dusty old Bible again - that surely should tell you something.

And finally, let’s hear from my buddy Br’er Marc of the blog ‘The Bible Corner’. I will put Br’er in purple because he’s like royalty in my pantheon of friends.

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MARC: Stephen,

I'm on page 155. Thank you!!! One of the best biblical books I've put my hands on. And couldn't have come at a better time. Love you.

Reading the book. Almost done. Thinking back at my time in ‘T__ W__’. I remember Rev. __________  talking about Jesus saying to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan!" That he was yelling at him, giving it to him. That Peter was close to being possessed. He twisted verses like that to justify his abuse of others.

But he also helped paint a very different picture of our Lord in my mind. A cruel, angry, and vicious Jesus. Which made verses like “I never knew you”, “weeping and gnashing of teeth” take on meanings they had never had previously.

It’s helping me realize that the love I had, and haven't felt for awhile, started to disappear during this time. When I replaced the real Jesus with C____ M_________’s version of Jesus.

Our tithes were counted, you were “mark and avoid” if you had debt; you had to go to 'fellowship' three times a week. You weren't spiritual enough if you were three minutes early, you needed to be ten minutes early. I was actually followed out to my car, and told I couldn't be in the ministry band because I wasn't early enough one day to fellowship.

An old ministry friend came to work a few months ago, talking about how this other ministry couple is full of devil spirits. That so-and-so is now “mark and avoid”. “Avoid”, I like that last word. Been doing that with ‘T__ W__’ since 2005. Still friends with some of them, no ill will. Just couldn't buy into their theology and RELIGIOUSNESS.

Thanks again,

-- Br'er Marc

P.S. - Hope you’re not expecting (the book) back, ‘cause it ain't gonna happen.

~ Stephen T. McCarthy

YE OLDE COMMENT POLICY: All comments, pro and con, are welcome. However, ad hominem attacks and disrespectful epithets will not be tolerated (read: "posted"). After all, this isn’t Amazon.com, so I don’t have to put up with that kind of bovine excrement.

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